Man Charged After Baby In His Care Suffers Burns

HARTFORD — A 31-year-old Hartford man faces a charge of risk of injury to a minor after Hartford police say a 10-month-old girl suffered second-degree burns after he left her unattended in a kitchen sink after a bath.

Police do not allege that Tylon Graham intentionally injured his girlfriend's daughter, but that he failed to properly care for her when she was left in his care.

The child is recovering from her burns and is in the care of the state Department of Children and Families.

Hartford police began investigating Nov. 30, when officers, firefighters and an ambulance were dispatched to a Hamilton Street home. The child was taken to Connecticut Children's Medical Center for treatment of her burns.

Graham told police he had given the child a bath, drained the water from the sink and realized her didn't have a towel, according to the warrant for his arrest. He left the child in the sink and went to get a towel. He heard her cry out, but paid no attention because he said he thought she dropped a pacifier. He then heard her cry out again with a "more serious sounding cry." When he got back to the kitchen, the hot water was running onto the child's lower body.

"Tylon Graham stated when he grabbed [the child] he observed that her skin was sticking to his hands," the warrant reads. He placed her on the couch, patted her down to dry her, placed some A&D ointment on her and put a diaper on her.

He then called out to an upstairs neighbor who came to help and called 911.

At Connecticut Children's Medical Center doctors determined the child had burns to her lower body, but also bruising to her face caused by "an inflicted injury."

Graham told police he blamed himself for leaving the child unattended.

Hartford Superior Court Judge Thomas P. Miano set bail at $100,000 and ordered Graham to have no contact with the child. He is due back in court Dec. 23.